How I've Been Saving Money This Summer

I am notoriously bad with money. I never feel like I have enough of it and constantly feel like I'm spending irresponsibly. I used to joke that I was broke, but at least I was broke after paying off all of my bills, right? I saw something the other day that said that was "responsibroke," so, take that, mom!

This summer I really wanted to stick to my goal of saving as much money as possible. So far, I think I've been doing fairly well. I've purchased a few things here and there, but nothing has seemed too out of line and there's still some time this summer left to earn and save. This time of year was the most ideal time for me to try to save. I don't have rent or utility bills to pay. I'm not working in retail anymore and don't feel the need to buy new clothes and makeup to keep up an appearance. I'm not going out to eat or getting drinks with my friends. Aaaand now I sound like a total loser. 

Even with this ideal money saving situation of living at home and not having many personal expenses, I've definitely been doing everything I can to ensure that I save a decent chunk of the money that I'm making.

I pay with cash and not my debit/credit card. 

Typically, the only time I ever get cash is when I'm babysitting. Sometimes I deposit that cash into the bank, but as of late I've decided to start using cash instead of reaching directly for my card. It keeps me from spending exuberant amounts and really lets me see how much I'm spending because it's not just mindless swiping, or rather, inserting my card into the chip reader.

I steer clear of the mall and "window shopped" online. 

I used to go to the mall for fun because it's one of the only places to go in my city. Unfortunately, my shopaholic tendencies also made it impossible for me to leave the mall without buying anything. If I don't need anything from the mall, I don't go. It's pretty simple. Some days, if I'm really bored, I'll go to my favorite online stores, load up my cart and leave it sitting there. It's not quite as satisfying as buying something new, but once I think about how much money I've saved myself from spending foolishly. everything feels a bit better.

I utilize the wardrobe that I already have. 

My situation is slightly different, sure, but resisting the urge to buy clothing is possible. I've been holding off on buying new pieces of clothing because, first, I basically just live in ratty old t-shirts and athletic wear because I don't really do anything but babysit. Second, I don't want to buy a new wardrobe, only to find out that I can't wear it at whatever future job I end up landing. There's not much worse than having a closet full of clothes that you can't even get to have fun in five days out of the week.

I stopped going for my morning, afternoon and evening coffees. 

Y'all don't even want to know how much I used to spend on coffee in a week. A disgusting amount, let me tell you. I'd be refilling my Starbucks card multiple times a week just to get my fix before work, on my lunch break, even sometimes for my drive home just in case I wasn't already caffeinated enough. It's a win-win, really. I get to save money because I'm not constantly buying coffees to guzzle down like they're the first bottle of water I've had after a few days in the desert. I also get to cut down on my caffeine intake, which I'm sure my body will thank me for someday...

I tend to make my own coffee at home now and if I want iced coffee, I'll either make my coffee the night before and leave it in the fridge or I'll buy the bottles of the Starbucks Blonde Roast Iced Coffee, which last me around a week for just around four dollars. It saves me, on average, around five to ten dollars a day, including weekends. Let's not do the math on this one, guys.

I eat most, if not all, of my meals at home. 

I suppose this is along the same lines as buying coffee, but really, you can save so much money if you don't eat out every meal of the day. I hate spending money on food, so I always know that I'd much prefer to eat something at home than pick something up while I'm out. 

I pay off my credit card bills immediately. 

The only reason why I use my credit card is because I finally realized that I needed to build credit in order for me to get things that I need to in the future. I think it's silly that I need to prove that I can pay things back when I've been capable of paying with debit since I got my first debit account when I was starting college, but whatever, to each their own. Even so, I seldom use it and I'll make that payment well before I need to. This way, I can see how much money I actually have in the bank.

Sure, I still spent the money on credit, but the sooner it's out of my debit account, the more accurate my balance is. Obviously, if my balance is lower, I'm less likely to want to spend it. I've gotten really goal-oriented when it comes to my savings account and like to keep it above a certain number. If you're a self-motivator, I totally recommend trying to do this. Don't drive yourself crazy trying to maintain a certain number, but keep yourself as disciplined as possible.

I buy drugstore makeup and have cut down on the days I do wear makeup. 

Let me tell you, I used to go through $20 concealers in eyeliners in two months or less. Admittedly, when I'm doing a full face of makeup, I wear a lot of it. That's mostly due to my skin, which I'm trying to keep under control. Still, my everyday makeup look costs a lot of money and every time I do it when it's not completely necessary is just more money spent. I don't wear makeup every day, which severely lowers my chances of having to repurchase frequently. I'm also trying to find drugstore versions of each product, especially things that I finish quickly, like foundations and concealers.

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These are all obviously very minuscule things. I think if I truly tried to set up a budget for myself, I would fail miserably. I'm tip-toeing into this money saving business! If you struggle to save money too, start off somewhere small. Cut out the unnecessary coffees or have dinner at home a couple more nights a week Every little bit counts!